phones as cameras

July 4, 2023

I’m here with a specific purpose in mind: to log the adjustment in my perceptions of using phones for taking photos – don’t get me wrong, I still fkn hate them, and I hate looking at photos on a tiny screen and I hate notions of “being contactable” but what I truly loath is how apps attack photography and force us to do stupid shit like crop to 9:16, the cursed ratio. What sparked the change was my most recent phone purchase and the fact it has a tele lens on it. I’ve always shot lots with my phone, but hated it and never posted them to anything other than my story but that has now changed (pixel 7 pro).

Let me be clear: I don’t like them. I like taking photos on nice cameras with viewfinders and metal. But I will sacrifice my love of tools for the sake a photo and this thing is always in my pocket so it does serve me on that front. Realistically I do love it, I just don’t want to accept it totally. I struggle to motivate myself to carry the big rig, so I need to hang onto my loathing.

Another thing I struggle with is writing this rant, I thought id be able to complain about phones as cameras forever but now that I’m writing it.. not so much. I ended up redacting the entire first paragraph cuz it was me ranting about being in a crisis – Its become clear over the years that i’d much rather rant about nuances of my psyche than anything relating to the real world.So what im going to do is stop and just post pictures from my phone, which im assuming will be obvious either by way of the fact they’re all (bar one) shot in vertical, or the questionable quality.

dead trees are what i consider to be the most photogenic object there is and that’s been consistent since i picked up a camera, im not sure what or why them, but them.

magpies – more favourites. not to photography, thats reserved for dead trees, but just for being. their songs, their intrigue and intelligence. i wish i could watch them sing all day long, i think that’s the rememdy to my crises: adoring more magpies. camera phone telephoto coming through strong on a ride a month or two ago.

pristine queensland farmscape, missed this stuff and how it can seem flat but be faaar from flat. missed australian winter sun and the sky grades.

my local pool. i was in a bit of a rush to get into the water and just took a photo while walking to the change room. i feel like it captures both what i love and loathe about the phone and its that i’d have never got a photo of this with my camera (seems odd to walk around a pool with a camera). on the other hand, id never rush and frame something like this with my real camera. all things considered id much rather this mids photo than no photo at all. talking about swimming, ive been doing lots (at this very pool) but also the ocean when i can, its been my diversionary tactic away from my knee injury and not being able to ride. at first i thought it’d just be a good way to be active but now its a proper passion of mine, which was great in that it not only distracted me from riding but helped illustrate that there are fun body based glory out there that isn’t on a bike, easier said than done after basically living on a bike while living in Canada.

starting to push the limits of the phone a lil bit – long lens, late arvo etc. still fine.

some of the spirits from my spirit park (like spirit animal) – pacific spirit regional park is the scientific name. i reckon i spent around 300-400 hours riding her sweet gravel in sun and rain, and snow, and wind warnings where i was avoiding branched-based KOs. one of my favourite places on the planet, and the part of canada i’ll miss most. she saved me. i shot this on my last ride with her, injured knees and all. i couldn’t leave canada without a proper goodbye.

reeeaaaly pushing the camera phone this time – night, in the snow, hand held etc. fun times. talking about missing, this (mountain mondays with the LY homies was a peak peak).

if you’d told me 4 years ago (ppl did) that i’d be able to take this on my phone i’d have laughed (i did, fk that, i said – not cuz i didn’t know that technology would get us there, but fk that! i loved real cameras too much).